Antivirus Free

Antivirus software should be installed on every PC, Mac, smartphone and tablet to protect against computer viruses. Computer viruses are destructive software that can run on your computer without your knowledge. They spread throughout documents and programs on your computer. Viruses can cause severe damage by deleting files and allowing criminals to spy on your computer and steal personal information. They can also slow down your computer’s performance and waste valuable time locating and removing them. How can antivirus software protect your computer? First of all, make sure you are practicing good online security in your home or office. This means keeping your antivirus free software properly updated and running a scan frequently. It’s important to keep this software updated, because new viruses are constantly being created by ever-more sophisticated cyber-criminals. In addition to scanning for viruses regularly, install an “on access” scanner (included in most antivirus software packages) and configure it to start each time you boot-up your computer. This will protect your system by checking for viruses every time an executable file is run. An antivirus scan should be run before opening any new programs or files that could contain executable code. This includes packaged software purchased from a store as well as any program downloaded online from the internet.

Computer viruses can be transmitted through:

email attachments

downloads from infected programs from websites

infected USB memory sticks, floppy disks or CDs

Computer viruses can:

slow your computer down

corrupt or even destroy files

secretly send the virus to other computers

Antivirus free software scans your computer for these viruses and alerts you when any are found. Many software companies offer free antivirus scans online, making it quick and easy to check your for computer viruses.

Antivirus Free Reviews and News

How we test antivirus and security software

The best antivirus software available does more than just stop computer viruses. Indeed, from the merged antivirus and anti-malware detection engines to enhancing online privacy controls, security suites are an essential part of Windows and Mac desktop life.
more at http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-3667_7-57569195/how-we-test-antivirus-and-security-software/

Ad-Aware Free Antivirus Review

Protection that’s leaner, meaner, faster. Ad-Aware Free Antivirus+ combines the legendary Anti-spyware with a super fast, free Antivirus. It now features download protection (blocks malicious files before being written to disk), sandboxing (keeps unknown apps running in a virtual environment) and advanced detection – it’s the powerful free antivirus yet.
more at http://www.neowin.net/news/ad-aware-free-antivirus–10504339

Kaspersky Anti-Virus (AV) 2013 Review

Like competing products under the McAfee, Norton, and VIPRE labels, Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2013 is compatible with Windows 8, 7, Vista and XP. Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2013, the latest edition of Kaspersky Lab’s home PC security software, brings a refreshed user interface (UI) and several highly useful extra tools, including a rescue disc creator, Windows troubleshooting assistant, privacy cleaner, and browser vulnerability scanner. Taking all of this into account and more, how does it compare versus rival AV solutions?
more at http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=6761

Best free antivirus for 2013

Looking for a free antivirus tool? There’s no need to pay for protection against malware and online scams. Though free security tools don’t tend to offer as many features as commercial suites, their very simplicity can be appealing – and of course the price can’t be beaten.
more at http://www.pcpro.co.uk/features/379993/best-free-antivirus-for-2013

Chinese Cyber-Spying

U.S. internet security firm accused them of conducting a massive hacking campaign against North American targets. Hackers with the Chinese unit have been active for years, using online handles such as “UglyGorilla,” Virginia-based firm Mandiant said in a report released Tuesday as the U.S. prepared to crack down on countries responsible for cyber-espionage. The Mandiant report plus details collected by The Associated Press depict a highly specialized community of internet warriors working from a white building in Shanghai.
more at http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2013/02/20/unit-61398-explainer.html

What Is the Meaning of Quarantine in Anti-virus?

Quarantining an object with anti-virus software is similar to quarantining an individual who has contracted something contagious and possibly dangerous. In both cases, the target is removed from the greater population so it can’t do any kind of damage. Just about any kind of worthwhile anti-virus product available has a quarantine feature. When you run a scan, the anti-virus software will generally put some questionable items on a separate list identified as quarantined items.
more at http://science.opposingviews.com/meaning-quarantine-antivirus-3649.html

Mac Antivirus and Security Suite for Home

As Macs grab more market share, we’re beginning to see them more often in the crosshairs of hackers and virus developers. So it’s no surprise that there’s a flurry of activity on the antivirus front. In fact, one of the clearest signs that viruses have become a real danger for Macs is that they’ve revamped their line in order to make it less expensive and less technical, and more user-friendly for everyday Mac users.
more at http://www.cultofmac.com/216411/intego-launches-updated-mac-antivirus-and-security-suite-for-home/

Watch Out for Identity Theft

With the tax-filing season upon us, the Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, reminds consumers to be aware of the threat of identity theft. Your tax return contains sensitive personal information, and cyber-criminals can use your Social Security number to get a job, or to collect your tax refund. As you prepare your tax return, consider taking steps to ensure your tax information does not fall into the wrong hands.more